There is known a semiconductor package in which a semiconductor chip (semiconductor element) is covered (encapsulated) with a resin-made encapsulating (sealing) material. The encapsulating material for the semiconductor chip is formed of a resin composition and is produced by molding such a resin-made compact in the form of a resin-made compact through, e.g., a transfer molding method. In a process for producing the compact (resin-made compact), the resin composition as a base material is compressed (compression-molded) by a tablet-making apparatus (compact production apparatus) to thereby obtain (produce) the compact formed into a tablet (block) form (for example, see patent document 1). In the tablet-making apparatus, a part of the apparatus which makes contact with the resin composition is generally constituted of a metallic material. In case of using such an apparatus having the part constituted of the metallic material, there is a case that metal powder or the like is generated by friction between the metallic parts of the apparatus and/or between the part of the apparatus and the resin composition. In the invention described in the patent document 1, in the case where such powder is attached to the compact, the powder attached to the compact is blown off by air.
However, according to the invention of the patent document 1, the powder attached to the compact cannot be sufficiently removed only by blowing the air to the compact. For this reason, there is a case that a part of the powder remains on the compact to some degrees. If the remaining powder on the compact includes metal powder, the metal powder is contained in the compact as foreign substances. In the case where such compact containing metal powder is used as the encapsulating material for the semiconductor package, it is impossible to encapsulate the semiconductor chip in a state that the semiconductor chip is reliably insulated. As a result, there is a case that a short circuit occurs in the semiconductor chip.
Patent Document 1: JP-A 11-290806.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact production apparatus and a method for producing a compact, which are capable of reliably preventing metal powder from being contained in a compact when a resin composition which is a base material of the compact is compressed (compression-molded) for producing the compact.
The above object is achieved by the present invention which is specified in the following (1) to (15).
(1) A compact production apparatus for producing a compact by compression-molding a resin composition which is a base material of the compact, the compact production apparatus comprising:
a main body formed into a plate shape and configured to be rotatable around a central vertical axis thereof, the main body having at least one molding die in which a cavity having an upper opening and a lower opening vertically opposite to the upper opening is formed, the resin composition being supplied into the cavity,
a first flow passage member formed into a tubular shape and constituting a first flow passage through which the resin composition is supplied into the cavity, the resin composition being supplied into the cavity through the first flow passage at a first position where the main body is rotated around the central vertical axis by a specified angle from an initial position,
an upper compaction member having an upper punch surface to be inserted into the upper opening of the cavity from an upper side thereof at a second position where the main body is rotated around the central vertical axis by a specified angle from the first position, the upper punch surface allowed to compress the resin composition in the cavity,
a lower compaction member having a lower punch surface to be inserted into the lower opening of the cavity from a lower side thereof at the second position, the lower punch surface allowed to compress the resin composition in the cavity in cooperation with the upper punch surface of the upper compaction member to thereby produce the compact, and
a second flow passage member formed into a tubular shape and constituting a second flow passage through which the compact is discharged from the cavity, wherein the compact obtained by compressing the resin composition is separated from the cavity at a third position where the main body is rotated around the central vertical axis by a specified angle from the second position and then the compact separated from the cavity is discharged through the second flow passage,
wherein at least 80% or more of a total surface area of an upper surface of the main body, an inner circumferential surface defining the cavity, an inner circumferential surface of the first flow passage member, an inner circumferential surface of the second flow passage member, the upper punch surface of the upper compaction member and the lower punch surface of the lower compaction member is constituted of a nonmetallic material.
(2) The compact production apparatus described above (1), wherein the nonmetallic material is a ceramic material or a resin material.
(3) The compact production apparatus described above (2), wherein the ceramic material contains an oxide ceramic.
(4) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (3), wherein a Vickers hardness Hv defined by JIS Z 2244 of the nonmetallic material measured at a load of 500 gf is equal to or more than 1300.
(5) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (4), wherein the upper surface of the main body, the inner circumferential surface defining the cavity, the upper punch surface of the upper compaction member and the lower punch surface of the lower compaction member are constituted of the same nonmetallic material.
(6) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (5), wherein the inner circumferential surface of the first flow passage member and the inner circumferential surface of the second flow passage member are constituted of the same or different nonmetallic material.
(7) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (6), wherein the nonmetallic material is formed into a coating film containing the nonmetallic material.
(8) The compact production apparatus described above (7), wherein a thickness of the coating film is in the range of 0.2 to 1.0 mm.
(9) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (8), wherein the cavity is formed into a cylindrical shape.
(10) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (9), wherein each of the upper punch surface of the upper compaction member and the lower punch surface of the lower compaction member is formed into a planar shape or a curved concave shape.
(11) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (10), wherein at least a part of each of the inner circumferential surface of the first flow passage member and the inner circumferential surface of the second flow passage member is inclined downwardly.
(12) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (11), wherein a releasing agent is previously applied to each of the inner circumferential surface defining the cavity, the upper punch surface of the upper compaction member and the lower punch surface of the lower compaction member.
(13) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (12), wherein the resin composition is formed into powder.
(14) The compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (13), wherein the resin composition is used as a molding portion constituting an outer packaging of an IC package.
(15) A method for producing a compact comprising: compression-molding a resin composition which is a base material of the compact by using the compact production apparatus described in any one of above (1) to (14) to thereby produce the compact.